Five More Minutes by Claire Rosen
How often do teenagers acquire an appropriate amount of sleep? For most, a good night’s rest is not a common occurrence. With their busy schedules and heavy work loads, most high school students find themselves unable to obtain anywhere near enough sleep necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle. One of the major contributors to disturbances in teens’ sleep schedules is the early start times of schools across the country. When full schedules and pressures of school are not the cause of adolescents’ lack of sleep, technology is often the culprit. Teenagers desperately need to sleep more but often find the task impossible due to busy schedules, early school starting times, and the distractions of technology.
Many teenagers today find it difficult to manage their time. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, teenagers should sleep between eight and ten hours every night, but going to bed at a reasonable time becomes increasingly difficult when teens age and take on more challenges (“Sleep and Teens”). As adolescents gain more responsibility in the form of work and sports, balancing their schedules can become a struggle. When the hours spent on these extracurricular activities, school, and homework are added up, there is often not enough time for students to accomplish every task. Sleep deprivation occurs frequently as teens stay up later in an effort to finish everything on their plate, leaving them exhausted and distraught.
One of the biggest obstacles that teenagers face in trying to acquire an appropriate amount of sleep is the early start times of schools. As teenagers grow, their bodies experience changes that cause them to fall asleep much later than children and adults (Urton). When teens are forced to go to school in the early hours of the morning after struggling to sleep the previous night, their capacities to learn and complete work can be compromised, which may cause them to feel frustrated and unmotivated. In 2016, some high schools in Philadelphia shifted their start times from 7:50 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. After studying the students, researchers concluded that the majority of the teenagers slept for an average of 34 minutes longer than they had before the change. The later start time also led to improved grades and attendance (Urton). With such significant results, researchers and parents have a difficult time understanding why most schools continue to begin classes at times that can negatively impact their students’ health. Do administrators want to help their students?
When school and busy schedules are not reason for poor amounts of sleep, technology and social media often interfere. Before going to sleep, most teens reach for their phone for entertainment. Although they may believe that their mindless scrolling or staring at their screens will calm them as they prepare to fall asleep, this might actually cause them to stay up later. Looking at the screen of a phone, tablet, computer, or television activates neurons in the brain due to the blue light that these electronics emit. As more time is spent on these devices, the continued activation of these neurons can actually cause users to feel more alert (Monroe). With many other factors already negatively impacting their sleep patterns, teens need to recognize elements of their lives where they are able to make changes, the use of technology being one of them. Teenagers can practice steps like taking breaks from their phones and tablets before bed in order to improve their sleep and overall health.
Teenagers are often unable to acquire the sleep they desperately need due to hectic schedules, early school starting times, and distracting technology. Busy schedules lead overworked teens to sacrifice their sleep in order to have more time to complete tasks. The appalling start times for high school classes force teens to rush out of bed early in the morning after struggling to sleep during the night. Additionally, the appeal and entertainment of technology distracts teenagers and traps them into a routine of non stop scrolling. Will teenagers ever be able to rest?
Works Cited
Monroe, Jamison. “Technology and Sleep Deprivation Affect Teens.” Newport Academy, Newport Academy, 11 Jan. 2019, www.newportacademy.com/resources/well-being/technology-and-sleep-deprivation/.
“Sleep and Teens.” Sleep and Teens - UCLA Sleep Disorders Center - Los Angeles, CA, www.uclahealth.org/sleepcenter/sleep-and-teens.
Urton, James. “Teens Get More Sleep, Show Improved Grades and Attendance with Later School Start Time, Researchers Find.” UW News, 12 Dec. 2018, www.washington.edu/news/2018/12/12/high-school-start-times-study/.
How often do teenagers acquire an appropriate amount of sleep? For most, a good night’s rest is not a common occurrence. With their busy schedules and heavy work loads, most high school students find themselves unable to obtain anywhere near enough sleep necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle. One of the major contributors to disturbances in teens’ sleep schedules is the early start times of schools across the country. When full schedules and pressures of school are not the cause of adolescents’ lack of sleep, technology is often the culprit. Teenagers desperately need to sleep more but often find the task impossible due to busy schedules, early school starting times, and the distractions of technology.
Many teenagers today find it difficult to manage their time. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, teenagers should sleep between eight and ten hours every night, but going to bed at a reasonable time becomes increasingly difficult when teens age and take on more challenges (“Sleep and Teens”). As adolescents gain more responsibility in the form of work and sports, balancing their schedules can become a struggle. When the hours spent on these extracurricular activities, school, and homework are added up, there is often not enough time for students to accomplish every task. Sleep deprivation occurs frequently as teens stay up later in an effort to finish everything on their plate, leaving them exhausted and distraught.
One of the biggest obstacles that teenagers face in trying to acquire an appropriate amount of sleep is the early start times of schools. As teenagers grow, their bodies experience changes that cause them to fall asleep much later than children and adults (Urton). When teens are forced to go to school in the early hours of the morning after struggling to sleep the previous night, their capacities to learn and complete work can be compromised, which may cause them to feel frustrated and unmotivated. In 2016, some high schools in Philadelphia shifted their start times from 7:50 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. After studying the students, researchers concluded that the majority of the teenagers slept for an average of 34 minutes longer than they had before the change. The later start time also led to improved grades and attendance (Urton). With such significant results, researchers and parents have a difficult time understanding why most schools continue to begin classes at times that can negatively impact their students’ health. Do administrators want to help their students?
When school and busy schedules are not reason for poor amounts of sleep, technology and social media often interfere. Before going to sleep, most teens reach for their phone for entertainment. Although they may believe that their mindless scrolling or staring at their screens will calm them as they prepare to fall asleep, this might actually cause them to stay up later. Looking at the screen of a phone, tablet, computer, or television activates neurons in the brain due to the blue light that these electronics emit. As more time is spent on these devices, the continued activation of these neurons can actually cause users to feel more alert (Monroe). With many other factors already negatively impacting their sleep patterns, teens need to recognize elements of their lives where they are able to make changes, the use of technology being one of them. Teenagers can practice steps like taking breaks from their phones and tablets before bed in order to improve their sleep and overall health.
Teenagers are often unable to acquire the sleep they desperately need due to hectic schedules, early school starting times, and distracting technology. Busy schedules lead overworked teens to sacrifice their sleep in order to have more time to complete tasks. The appalling start times for high school classes force teens to rush out of bed early in the morning after struggling to sleep during the night. Additionally, the appeal and entertainment of technology distracts teenagers and traps them into a routine of non stop scrolling. Will teenagers ever be able to rest?
Works Cited
Monroe, Jamison. “Technology and Sleep Deprivation Affect Teens.” Newport Academy, Newport Academy, 11 Jan. 2019, www.newportacademy.com/resources/well-being/technology-and-sleep-deprivation/.
“Sleep and Teens.” Sleep and Teens - UCLA Sleep Disorders Center - Los Angeles, CA, www.uclahealth.org/sleepcenter/sleep-and-teens.
Urton, James. “Teens Get More Sleep, Show Improved Grades and Attendance with Later School Start Time, Researchers Find.” UW News, 12 Dec. 2018, www.washington.edu/news/2018/12/12/high-school-start-times-study/.